I turned the Lego Game Boy into a working Game Boy

I just built this set yesterday and was thinking to myself 'I wonder how hard it would be to turn this into a functioning gameboy?' Looks like I have my answer!

The Game Boy modding scene is fascinating. You can literally replace every single part of it other than the `DMG-CPU` main SoC.

Well even that can be replaced, sorta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EccVHo-pDGI

I love projects like this where you have to work around constraints like the Lego form factor and the support electronics for the CPU. In terms of modern hardware, the PCB is surprisingly sparse - using modern surface-mount components really helps.

The super detailed silkscreen on the Nintendo PCB does make me wish for the time when all products came with schematics and component specifications...

This is... very very nice, and why I love the internet, LEGO and maker/hacker type nerds...

I pre-ordered this set to do exactly this. Nice to see others have the same idea.

Weirdly I only received mine today, I wonder why the difference in pre-order shipment times is so large.

This looks cool but that D-Pad is going to hurt after a few minutes of play.

I was wondering how long it would take someone to do this.

Was so disappointed when I realized it wasn’t a real gameboy, but then I realized someone even more of a nerd than me would take care of that and I’d just have to be patient. Only took a few days!

The startup video doesn’t feature the Game Boy startup sound (nor any other sound), so no sound?

Did Nintendo lawyers already get in touch?

I just built this set yesterday and was thinking to myself 'I wonder how hard it would be to turn this into a functioning gameboy?' Looks like I have my answer!

I was wondering how long it would take someone to do this.

The startup video doesn’t feature the Game Boy startup sound (nor any other sound), so no sound?

Was so disappointed when I realized it wasn’t a real gameboy, but then I realized someone even more of a nerd than me would take care of that and I’d just have to be patient. Only took a few days!

The Game Boy modding scene is fascinating. You can literally replace every single part of it other than the `DMG-CPU` main SoC.

Well even that can be replaced, sorta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EccVHo-pDGI

There's a replacement motherboard which uses an FPGA in lieu of an original GB/GBC/SGB SoC, so you can in fact build a Gameboy of Theseus with zero Nintendo parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cesh5OAL4uk

You can also get an FPGBC which is FPGA of a GBC. They even sell them prebuilt for $99. So all parts are 100% brand new.

https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit

The Game Boy of Theseus

This is... very very nice, and why I love the internet, LEGO and maker/hacker type nerds...

I think tons of HN tech people are into LEGO. After they gathered 10,000 votes and still declined to do a JWST telescope TWICE, I personally decided to have some fun with it on my own.

https://ibb.co/bgFFKhLn

Plan to Kickstart it early next year...

This looks cool but that D-Pad is going to hurt after a few minutes of play.

I pre-ordered this set to do exactly this. Nice to see others have the same idea.

Weirdly I only received mine today, I wonder why the difference in pre-order shipment times is so large.

Did Nintendo lawyers already get in touch?

The super detailed silkscreen on the Nintendo PCB does make me wish for the time when all products came with schematics and component specifications...

The kind of person who does this has many gameboys to play on, this is for art and concept only I imagine

Because some sellers don’t respect sales embargo and/or some clients have some privileges.

People in the USA have been picking them up for weeks from Costco. I got mine ~2 weeks ago.

beyond the other explanations that some have given, lego direct order releases ship from more than one warehouse, even in the US - my bricklink western train set shipped from Vegas, and others I had chatted with either got them 3-4 days earlier than me or 3-4 days later, depending on how close they were to the warehouse and the order of the orders going out.

just logistics, or luck as some of us call it?

You can also get an FPGBC which is FPGA of a GBC. They even sell them prebuilt for $99. So all parts are 100% brand new.

https://funnyplaying.com/products/fpgbc-kit

There's a replacement motherboard which uses an FPGA in lieu of an original GB/GBC/SGB SoC, so you can in fact build a Gameboy of Theseus with zero Nintendo parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cesh5OAL4uk

The Game Boy of Theseus

The kind of person who does this has many gameboys to play on, this is for art and concept only I imagine

Because some sellers don’t respect sales embargo and/or some clients have some privileges.

I think tons of HN tech people are into LEGO. After they gathered 10,000 votes and still declined to do a JWST telescope TWICE, I personally decided to have some fun with it on my own.

https://ibb.co/bgFFKhLn

Plan to Kickstart it early next year...

Yeah - technical people in general - it was a great introduction to following instructions and creativity all-in-one. (I would build every kit first with the instructions, then tear them apart and put the bricks in the "big" (actually very tiny) box, and from then on, build my own creations - no models sitting on shelves for me - this still happens to-this-day, but now I build with my grandkids)

just logistics, or luck as some of us call it?

People in the USA have been picking them up for weeks from Costco. I got mine ~2 weeks ago.

Seems pretty lame to literally pre-order something and get it significantly later than others who haven't pre-ordered

I saw this set on the shelf in a big toy shop (Smyths) here in the UK a few days ago, didn't realise it was hot off the press.

One can definitely go pick one up off the shelf here in the UK as of at least Wednesday (the day I saw them).

Seems pretty lame to literally pre-order something and get it significantly later than others who haven't pre-ordered

I saw this set on the shelf in a big toy shop (Smyths) here in the UK a few days ago, didn't realise it was hot off the press.

One can definitely go pick one up off the shelf here in the UK as of at least Wednesday (the day I saw them).

Lego Game Boy that actually works

EDIT: I made a channel on my discord server if you would like to keep up to date with the Lego Game Boy (which I will be calling brick boy for obvious reasons), kit
https://discord.gg/G4FbdEkzKM

Through my documentation of Game Boy boards, I have drawn up schematics of each device. I know them pretty well. Check out my board scan wiki https://wiki.nataliethenerd.com/

I jokingly made this tweet when the kit was announced, but decided to actually do it.

that's my opening pic.twitter.com/hJotri3aQP

— natalie (@natalie_thenerd) July 24, 2025

I know from experience of routing Game Boy CPU PCBs that there isn't much to it. There's the RAM, CPU, some decoupling capacitors and power regulation.

Note: I went with the MGB (Pocket) CPU rather than DMG for a couple of reasons.

They are pretty much the same
I have more of them
They are cheaper and easier to get. This opens up the project to more people

The DMG CPU has external VRAM, the MGB CPU has internal VRAM and in a very space conscious build that was the biggest factor.

DMG motherboard. Image source: Rodrigo Copetti https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy/

Pre Planning

I only had the press pictures to work off. I used the dimensions to scale the image on my PC and from that I got measurements for the screen inserts; since that's where I plan to put the Game Boy.

Source: https://www.lego.com/en-au/product/game-boy-72046

I incorporated the power circuit I use for my Safer Charger boards, changed the power switch to a soft latching power button, added pin outs for the button matrix and audio.

KiCad 3D renders of the PCB

I didn't really know what the buttons on the Lego would be like, but the fact that they could be pressed was enough for me to know I could implement them. At the moment I have them wired up to custom 3D printed *toy brick* parts. Same with the USB C

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Clicky buttons!

I am currently working on refining the board now I have the Lego build in my hands. This project will be released in full once I am finished with it - so stay tuned!

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Hacker Times

Hacker Times

I turned the Lego Game Boy into a working Game Boy

Discussion

Discussion

Pre Planning